The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-12-07
The Garment Of Praise.

Thursday, Nov. "a, is tho day appointed by
the civil authority for public remembrance
Of the great goodness of the Lord to us as in
dividuals and as a nation. Thanksgiving
used to be appointed only by each State; but
now it is designated by national authority,
the whole realm. This lends greater dignity
and consequence to an occasion which pos
sesses intrinsic reasons enough for its general
and grateful observance.
We ought to be thankful people. Has
God ever so dealt with any people! Look at
our magnificent domain; did ever nation be-
fore have such an inheritance7 Look at our
vast privileges; was ever people more highly
favored? Look at our great prosperity; did
ever a people before grow so rapidly and
greatly i'll all the advantages and blessings OF
Providence7
Then, first and chiefest Of ell, there is
Gods unspeasable gift his dear Son. When
the prophet foresaw what God would do for
his people at the incarnation of his Son, he
said II will appoint unto them that mourn
in Zion beauty for ashes, the oil Of Joy for
mourning, the garment of praise for the
spirit of heaviness." Now that Christ has
come, has borne our sins in his own body on
the tree, has wrought out an everlasting
Righteousness for us, what is it but unbellef
that prevents our putting on this garment OF
princely fulness run down tho beard, even to
tho skirts Of our garments? If we NOPE in
the ashes of q selfish sorrow o. morbid intro
spection, what but unbelief and distrust
fathers itl
A great many Christians are sickly and
pining for want of this garment Of praise.
Like spiritual hypochondriacs they are per-
petually feeling the pulse, and shaking the
head, and lugubriously declaring in coven-
ant meetings that it is all over with them;
they have no peace Of nina; and they do
not know whether they are Christians or not.
Poverty stricken soul! think what Christ
has done, and get up and praise God. Clothe
yourself with the garment Of praise. Get up
out of the ashes, and put the christening oil
upon your head. Stop feeling your pulse,
and counting its beats. You will always he a
spiritual nypochondriac while you do this
Look ut the Cross.
One notable and noble characteristic of the
Psalms is that the writer's are generally
wrapped in this garment Of praise. The
swelling joyousness is not so manifest IN the
first Psalms; but they are cumulative in
this; and the further you go through the
book, the more the holy enthusiasm kindles
and glcTs: until at last after calling on his
him to magnify his holy name, after calling
on everybody to help him praise God, and all
the nations to be glad to sing for joy, tho
sacred Book Of Praise ends in one gushing
call upon everything to praise the Lord.
Trumpets, psalteries, harps, timbrels, dances,
stringed instruments, organs, symbals. every
thing that hath breath, or into which joyful
God lovers can put breath, must join to
praise the Lord.
We want more ''praise meetings" in our
churches, more services of song," in which
in happy vesper-hours we can come together
with glad voices and instruments Of music,
and sing ourselves into the sweetness of the
love and praise of God. Let our churches
try the ''praise meetings" and come into joy.
full sympathy with the blessed saints of old
who wrote: 20 come let us sing unto the
Lord; let us mako q joyful noise unto the
rock Of our salvation" "Bless the Lord, o
my soul; and all that is within me, bless his
holy name" 10 give thanks unto the Lord;
for he is good; for his mercy endureth for
ever" "Serve the Lord with gladnesS; come
before his presence with singing: for the
Lord is good, his mercy is everlasting"
Is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord,
and to sing praises unto thy name, o Most
High" =.
Let us wrap ourselves in the garments Of
such praise; and we shall come into blessed
and joyful sympathy with it.{Rev. T. j.
M}l1iSh